The transportation of wheeled vehicles, such as bicycles, tricycles, mopeds, motorcycles and the like using vehicle load carriers is known and vehicle load carriers for transporting wheeled vehicles, such as bicycles, typically includes the use of roof mounted type load carriers, also known as roof racks, or rear mounted type load carriers, which are often fastened to the rearward side of a vehicle or upon the hitch of a vehicle.
When transporting bicycles or like wheeled vehicles in vehicles having bed structures, e.g., pickup trucks, individuals typically load the bicycle into the bed by laying the bicycle directly on the bed surface or leaning the bicycle against a sidewall of the bed. While such techniques are relatively simple, the loaded equipment is not necessarily sufficiently secured upon the bed. Indeed, when transporting a bicycle in this manner it is not uncommon for the bicycle to shift, which can damage the bicycle, the transporting vehicle, or both. Additionally, in some instances, bicycles loaded in this manner can fall out during transport and cause severe damage or injury.
While assemblies have been developed for loading and securing bicycles, and like wheeled vehicles, into vehicle beds, such assemblies have generally proved insufficient for conveniently transporting or preventing damage to the bicycle or transporting vehicle. For example, one known assembly employs a rack that is bolted to a pickup truck bed and includes a strut for attaching the forks of a bicycle thereto. A problem with this known assembly is that holes must be drilled into the bed of the vehicle. Furthermore, the front wheel of the bicycle must be removed so that the forks may be attached to the assembly. The removal of the front wheel is not only an inconvenience to a user, but more importantly, a bicycle rack that attaches the bicycle via the forks may not be capable of accommodating a variety of bicycle fork types, e.g., racing, touring, mountain, BMX, etc., bicycle forks. Also, the detached wheel must be separately stowed in some manner.
Another type of assembly used for loading and securing a bicycle upon a vehicle bed consists of a strap or crossbar that is tensioned between the sidewalls of a vehicle bed. A problem with this type of assembly is that these assemblies are usually only secured against the sidewalls of a vehicle bed and have a tendency to shift or work themselves loose during transport. This allows the assembly to become unsecured and possibly cause damage or injury. Also, because the tension provided by the crossbar or strap is the primary means for securing the assembly between the sidewalls of the vehicle, if the tension in the crossbar or straps is reduced, as may occur through loosening or failure, the bicycle may also become loose or free and possibly cause damage or injury.
Also, while some known assemblies are capable of accommodating bicycles with their front wheels installed, such assemblies typically do not provide sufficient securement to the bed of a vehicle, do not sufficiently secure a bicycle within the assembly, or require the removal of a wheel of the bicycle. For example, a known rack assembly for use in a pickup truck bed is secured to the pickup truck by passing straps through a gap between the bed and the tailgate of the pickup truck. When the tailgate is closed, the straps are tensioned, which secures the rack assembly therein by causing a portion of the rack assembly to bear against the tailgate. A problem with this known assembly, however, is that a wheel of a bicycle must be removed and secured via the forks of the bicycle. As previously noted, these types of assemblies are undesirable because they lack the ability to secure a variety of bicycles having different fork structures and the wheels must be removed and separately stowed, and too often, the user simply rests the separated wheel in the bed of the vehicle where it can shift about and cause damage.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,092,504 and 6,367,673 disclose bicycle racks for use in truck beds, but each disclosed arrangement detrimentally requires that the front wheel of the bicycle be removed in order to use the rack. U.S. Pat. No. 4,852,779 discloses a truck bed rack for a motorcycle in which the front wheel remains installed on the bike when being transported, but modification of the truck is undesirably required (Column 3, lines 15-20) in that U-bolts are used to rigidly secure an anchor sleeve to the bed of the automotive vehicle. Still further, the use of hooked elastic bands connect directly to the bike frame and not the bike's front tire which lends less stability to the system than direct connection to the front tire of the bike which results in fixed location of that tire during transport. Further still, the bike tire exclusively engages the rack frame structure without any stabilizing contact with the truck bed itself. Certain specialized racks are also known that must be attached to the carrying vehicle at specific locations other than in the bed of a pickup truck such as the hitch-mount rack known by the tradename CYCLE-ON. In addition to not being mountable in a truck bed, this rack's specialized configuration enabling such hitch mounting teaches away from any type of adaptation to that rack which would permit its mounting at any other location on a carrying vehicle, and especially not with the carried bicycle(s) being located at a fixed position above the bed of a truck during transport.
Accordingly, there has existed a longfelt need for a rack assembly that secures a wheeled vehicle, such as a bicycle, within the bed of a transporting vehicle that is quick and easy to install, that does not require removal of a wheel, and which is capable of accommodating an array of wheeled vehicle types.